Afterword: the S cottish referendum, the E nglish question and the changing constitutional geography of the U nited K ingdom

The referendum held in S cotland on 18 S eptember 2014 resulted in a rejection of the option of becoming an independent nation‐state. The perceived closeness of the vote, however, led to a rush of promises for further devolution from UK politicians. This crisis seems to have resulted in a period of constitutional flux throughout the U nited K ingdom, with demands for further powers for N orthern I reland and W ales, as well as a broad debate on the status of E ngland. There have also been recent pronouncements on further city‐regional devolution within E ngland. The changing political geography of the U nited K ingdom can be understood in a E uropean context and as part of longstanding debate about the rescaling of the state. Briefly considering the key issues of sovereignty and territorial identity, we argue that nation‐states will continue to play an important role in our governance for the foreseeable future, but that there needs to be further devolution in the U nited K ingdom. Any changes to our state spatial structures will proceed in a halting and path‐dependent manner.